Santa Claus Brings Christmas Cheer! (Santa Claus - The Movie (DVD))

Member Name: English Lady

Product:	Santa Claus - The Movie (DVD)
Date:	26/11/04 (76 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nostalgic, suitable for all the family , Not bad looking considering it's age!

Disadvantages: Some may feel it's a bit cheesy.

“Tis the season to be jolly”


Well I know, it’s still only November and well I really am not into the seasonal spirit as yet. All you folks who already have your Christmas decorations up must be mad! Anyhow, I need a boost of festive spirit to write a Christmas competition story and so I shall share my quest with you. (Awww don’t you feel special.)

Santa Claus (also known as Santa Clause :The Movie) is one of my very favourite Christmas films. I Saw it way back in 1985 when it was released and I was captivated. (I was also only 7 at the time) My Nanna bought me the video as soon as it came out and soon it became a Christmas tradition. Anyhow my daughter loves Santa. She has been into Santa since around September, (Goodness knows what sparked it off) but she has books, toys, and stickers of Santa and one day she told me she would like to “watch Santa”.

Looking through the video collection, I found nothing suitable so I hopped onto Ebay and had a look for this old Christmas favourite of mine. Now there is a brand new re-mastered copy of this out right now, you can pick it up in Asda for £7.97 on DVD but I like a bargain so I got my copy for £6 including P&P. It is in fact the old original video and seeing the cover just adds to my nostalgia.

Therefore, when we receive the package we slip it in the video player, sit, and wait to see what my little 3-year-old makes of it.

The film starts out following the life of “Uncle Claus” and his wife. He carves out wooden toys for all the local boys and girls and delivers them on Christmas Eve. One particularly cold and snowy night Uncle and Mrs Claus, get lost on their sleigh in a storm and end up running into the Vendicums (Elves to you and I) who explain they have been waiting for them and that they would make toys for all the boys and girls of the world and deliver them in just one night.

You follow uncle oh I now mean Santa Claus’s journey to the very first Christmas Eve. You see the Elves making the toys and feeding the reindeer all to the tinkly twinkly sounds of bells and festive music. You meet Patch (Dudley Moore) who is an inventor and is eager to maximise production. In doing so, he creates a machine but the machine makes dodgy toys and Patch leaves The North pole and the other elves to go out on his own, to find some place he can be appreciated.

Patch End’s up at the office Of BZ King (John Lithgow) the head of the BZ Toy Company who has recently had a run in with the law over selling dodgy toys. Patch and BZ get together and produce a magical lollipop that makes the children fly when they lick them (filled with the stuff that makes the reindeers fly) and they give them out for free at Christmas.

Whilst all this is happening Santa meets a little Boy named Joe who lives on the Streets and his friend Cornelia who is a rich kid who leaves him out food and looks after him and also happens to be the niece of the big ,bad BZ.

Patch gets himself into a lot of trouble and only Santa can save him. If you’ve not seen the film, already I am sure you can guess the rest but I will not spoil it for you!

Now Was Beth enthralled? Well not the whole way through, no but she did enjoy the first half and the last bit, she just looses interest in the bits where Santa doesn’t appear! However, I was captivated. The reindeer are spectacular considering they aren’t computer animated but actual robots and some of the special effects still look pretty darn good even after nigh on 20 years!

The story isn’t anything surprising or particularly inventive but it does keep your attention and has its fair share of laughs and emotional moments to mum sniffing into her holly covered apron. It really is a family classic. I think three may be a little young for full appreciation but children from around four or five are bound to be captivated by the story of Santa and it has enough to make it appeal to grown ups too. An ideal Film for Granddad to snooze off too after his half a turkey and 7lb’s of brussel sprouts.


Now aren’t you feeling Christmassy now? No?

Ok now don’t make me start my rendition of “O Little Town of Bethlehem ok?”

That’s better. And its only 28 days till Christmas now. Ho Ho Ho!

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